When I still lived in my home state of Alabama, it used to bother me when outsiders referred to the "slow pace of life." I don't think most people who made the observation were trying to insult us. We simply knew that the American way of doing things was the fast way; that the schedules of important people are lived frantically, and in the fast lane. By contrast, it seemed to us that calling our lifestyles "slow" seemed to indicate we didn't have enough to do with our time.
When my family moved to Northern Virginia, virtually in the shadow of our nation's capital, we quickly adapted to different pace of life. Now friends from Richmond and other points south comment on how "fast" life seems. Sometimes it feels like I scarcely have time to think- which is unfortunate, since thinking is an important part of my career. There is something or someone demanding time or money at every turn.
So it was a wonderful change of pace when my family gathered after Christmas at the home of my daughter and son-in-law (and grand daughter) in Minnesota. There was already 18" of snow on the ground, and more arrived on the wind yesterday. The temperature varied from 0 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, making it extremely uncomfortable going outside.
True Minnesotans are never put off by snow, but they do slow down when the mercury falls to zero. They have found satisfying alternatives to racing around and looking busy. And so we discovered board games- indeed, board game companies- we'd never heard of before. We played Ticket to Ride (which has about 10 different popular editions) and Farkel. There's a another game called Mystery of the Abbey which I'm eager to play. And of course, there was Scrabble and Sorry.
Minnesotans read more than most Americans. While trapped in the snow, I finished off an amazing book of theology and started a piece of historical fiction about Edgar Allen Poe. I noticed others in the house frequently finding a quiet corner to enjoy a book or magazine.
And I spent a lot of time reflecting on Paul's prison epistles- Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Ironically, Paul often found that a slower pace of life was forced on him by angry goverments, rather than road conditions. He wasn't frantically busy 24/7, but you'd have to agree he was successful!
The day we left home, parts of Indiana and the area around Chicago were suffering frigid conditions, and traffic reports described cars in ditches as far as the eye could see. But even as we began to drive, the temperatures in those areas began to rise suddenly, and rain came in to melt the ice. We drove through without a hitch. For this we thank our Heavenly Father.
Once we arrived, there was plenty of time to share a sofa, sit across the table from each other, and laugh and talk together. Our entire family is stronger for our snowbound experience. We'll be returning home just in time for me to preach the first of four sermons, Letters from Jail, on Sunday morning. It seems like an important series of messages. And if God clears a safe path for our timely arrival in Virginia, I'll take it as confirmation. Happy New Year!
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